Dreams of Eden
by Lovely-Viper-Venom
Summary: Vash carries Knives to the home of a friend to heal. For a hundred and twenty years, Knives had tried convincing Vash to see it his way. Now, Vash has three weeks to prove Knives wrong. Can he and his friend Tyla, help Knives develop a new perspective?
1. Oasis of Chance

My first story in a long, long while...I been reading my Trigun manga and watching the anime again..and devising a way to combine them. o.o I hope everyone enjoys! And I am using an OC...meh, so shoot me. I haven't used one in a long, long time. This story has been in development for....err...a year. I finally got around to it. So review and tell me how you all like it!Posts may be every few weeks though, given my hectic schedule...which may, just may, become less hectic after the 28th. And after that I may post every review, let me know what you all think! Thanks!

Disclaimer: I do not own anything of Trigun!

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Chapter 1 

Oasis of Chance

The faint lights of a small town flickered on the distant, dark horizon. The night was calm and serene. A refreshening, cool breeze would sweep over the sands every once in a while and journey across the desert planet of Gunsmoke. Yet, there was a difference this clear, peaceful night. Instead of the usual critters of the night roaming the vast desert, there was a man traveling across the barren land and to the glittering town. He was a man who seemed to have been traveling for a long time. Sweat was coated over his skin and heavy breaths fell from his dry mouth. It wasn't only the traveling that was wearing on the tired one's strength but the heavy burden slung over his shoulder. Even in the dark, it was easy to tell this was no traveling bag of any sort, but an unconscious person. Though the poor wanderer was fatigued, he never gave much thought to his own well being, but to the welfare of the one he was carrying. The "traveling companion" hadn't stirred for a the whole seven hours Vash had been walking. Perhaps... it as better Knives didn't know where he was being taken. Vash had paused to rest and gaze at the distant town ahead. He knew the town well and also a kind friend there who could help him out with his stubborn brother. His only hope was when Knives did wake, he wouldn't feel well enough to rampage on the human race. Adjusting his brother, Vash gave a little smile and continued his journey on to the town of Rakuen.

It had been another hour before Vash reached his final destination in Rakuen. The tired (and thoroughly drenched) Vash was standing on a dimly lit wooden porch, knocking on the door to the house. A few lights flickered on inside and footsteps could be heard as the resident of the lovely household came to see just who was knocking on her door this late at night. When the door swung open, a young looking blonde woman was standing there, lavender eyes trying to take in the sight before her. She knew it was Vash...but my! To her, he looked so utterly horrid and on the verge of collapse. Why was he drenched on a dry, cool night like this? And it seemed Vash had brought a friend with him. Without a word, the mysterious woman let Vash inside and closed the door. These two were in horrible shape and needed rest and hospitality to recover.

* * *

"Oh Vash! Even if you two had a fight, this was overkill! Even with your kind's excellent healing abilities, he's going to be bedridden for a week recuperating! The wounds are infected, the bandages are damp and extremely dirty, not to mention the swelling of the infected tissue...at least it seems his body has pushed the bullets out...which is good..."

The worried complaints continued from the frantic young woman. Rubbing alcohol was poured into the exposed wounds to cleanse it of dirt and other impurities. The old, dirty bandages that Vash had wrapped the wounds up in had been cast clear across the room and now laid limp against the wall. Vash could only sit by and wear a guilty smile as he witnessed his trustworthy friend skimming through her medical kit and picking certain salves to apply to Knives' rather nasty wounds. The more Vash saw the exposed tissues and swollen flesh, the more remorseful he felt for injuring his brother this badly. If Nicholas was still alive, he would be yelling at Vash and asking why he didn't finish Knives off. Both knew how much strife and chaos Knives had caused. All the calamities and milestone incidents such as the Big Fall and Lost July had all been Knives' fault. Still, the fact remained Knives was Vash's brother and Vash couldn't stand taking a life no matter how angry he was. It was unfathomable and he was sure Rem wouldn't have wanted that. Even now after 150 years, Vash wanted to try and get Knives to understand there are some good souls in this world. Maybe now he could finally get that chance.

"Let him rest in bed for now until morning. It looks as if his regenerative abilities are kicking in."

The young lady was pulling off the rubber gloves and storing away the canisters of healing salves, leftover gauze and bandages. Knives was lying on the bed with his upper portion of the suit torn off and adorned in fresh medical bandages. A comforter was pulled up to cover Knives from the chest down and a pillow had been fluffed and placed under his head. The girl had done everything she could to make sure her wounded guest would be comfortable for his recovery.

The journey had taxed every fibre of muscle within his aching body. The bed full of neat, thick covers and pillows was a sight for sore eyes. The conscience was chanting the word "sleep" for minutes before Vash turned away from it and headed towards the small bathroom. Every inch of his clothes and body was covered in filth. Blood, sand and sweat had mixed into a rather offensive smell. The stained and stenching coat and clothes were removed and placed in a neat pile right outside the bathroom door. As Vash smiled happily at the awaiting shower stall, all the events of the previous day, the battle and his wounded brother began to plague his mind. The water was beginning to fog the mirrors and glass of the stall as he stepped in and let the water cascade over his rough and scarred body. He'd been standing under the water for some time just thinking about the scenario. It didn't really occur to him that this might be the worst thing to do. Bringing Knives here to a fully human town could be nothing but a disaster waiting to happen. What Vash was hoping that this town's integrity as a true paradise would appeal to his narrow minded brother. The hmans here were very peaceful. There were no ruffian sorts in this place. Everyone here helped one another, got along with one another and never fueded amongst themselves. Could this hopefully convince his human-hating brother that he was wrong to assume all humans were vicious, selfish beings? Vash sighed and decided to finish his shower, praying that this decision of his was not foolish and he had not endangered another populace of humans.

* * *

Savory scents and the sound of sizzling spread from the downstairs kitchen. Various skillets and pans rested atop the four eyed stove where the girl was carefully tending to the cooking dinner. The table had been set only for two as she wasn't expecting her wounded guest to be accompanying them tonight. The memories of the infected gunshot wounds, the blackened bruises and various cuts and scrapes riddling the poor man's body caused such a vivid surge of sympathy towards the stranger. Vash hadn't yet told her what happened to the both of them but during dinner was going to be pressing on the matter.

Delicious, succulent plates of hot food were set onto a neat, polished dinner table. Glasses of fresh orange juice were placed beside either plate and the silverware neatly set upon cloth napkins. The pans were sitting in a basin sink full of soapy water, awaiting to be washed later. The scent of dinner had infiltrated the closed bedroom door and caught Vash's attention. It was within moments he was downstairs in an open white shirt and baggy tan pants, his green eyes glazed with hunger as he stared at the food. Drool began to pool at the corner of his lips and it took his patient and hospitable friend to wake him from his stupor.

"You going to sit down and eat or just stare at it?"

The young woman's sudden appearance from the pantry and warming smile broke the spell and Vash immediately took up a seat. He tried to talk to her through the mouthfuls of food and she found him to be too incoherent to understand.

"Can you tell me without the food in your mouth? I can't understand you," she said as politely as ever. It was a big and audible gulp that finally cleared all the food from his mouth and permitted the man to speak.

"I said, I am really thankful you're letting us stay here! I didn't know where else to go with him, and only you, him and one other person knows what I am...what he is. I felt this was the safest place to come to, Tyla," Vash admitted quietly to her. "My brother is...well, he will be a lot of work and I know not a single person who has the same patience with him as me...well! Except you," he hastily finished up. Tyla was getting a bad feeling about something. Vash's speech pattern wasn't usual and it suggested he was hiding important details from her about his brother.

"What's his name?" she asked innocently while spinning her fork in the pile of spaghetti. Those bright, animated green eyes dulled and turned away from her. The smile and fake happy mood he was presenting finally crumbled and revealed a concerned face.

"...Knives," he said in a whisper. Tylas eyes widened. While she may have been born in this town and never once left it on the sandsteamers or caravans, the stories of the other cities and towns had reached their little haven. The horror story of the deserted town where the single name "Knives" had been painted in blood on a monument had chilled her. No one was to be seen, things seemingly left in place without struggle. Coffee cups were said to still be full and sitting on tables, laundry baskets half full while the rest were on the lines being blown by the dusty, desert winds and food that hadn't been touched still sitting on the table.

"You don't mean...you brought into my house, my town, the very one who caused the disappearance of a whole town, do you?"

"...And the real person behind July. And August..."

"What?!" Tyla proclaimed loudly and jumping from her seat. All along Vash had been blamed for those two incidents and while she believed he didn't do it, she couldn't believe he had brought the very same one who did into her home. The fresh thoughts of sympathy for her newer guest from a few minutes ago were now completely forgotten. At very basic terms, Vash was admitting he brought a monster into this town.

"Gale, please! We got nowhere to go where they could be forgiving...I wanna send my two friends letters tomorrow so they will come here. I was hoping maybe with your kindness and understanding, you could persuade my brother into giving the humans a chance," Vash pleaded. The desperate and begging look in his watery eyes warmed Tyla and she couldn't find herself refusing. Maybe it was worth a try to convince this Knives there was more to humans than the obvious greed, selfishness and sloth.

"Fine, Vash. For you. Finish your meal and write those letters tonight. I'll drop them off at the office tomorrow. Ok?" Tyla mustered a smile and hoped that this night would not be the beginning of regret.

* * *

Morning for the town of Rakuen was always busy. Women buying food for their families, people selling off goods they handmade, men going to work on building more homes and shops...though the town's population was few in number, they did the work of a metropolitian city like December. The two suns had rose and shed glorious light upon these hardworking folk. But even small towns must have their one lazy number...and that was Vash. While Tyla had rose with the rest of her town's people, Vash slept heavily in the feather soft bed. After that shower and smorgasbord of food last night, sleep as the third best thing. Truly, it was a need Vash's body craved. The fighting and exertion of his raw power had wore down on him. Now, he had to let his body have time to recuperate and heal itself from the damage Knives had inflicted. Then after that it would be time to confront his brother again...

Tyla busied herself in the kitchen fixing pancakes, sausages, bacon, toast, eggs and fresh fruit. It was a lot of food but her plan was to try and talk to this Knives and persuade him to eat. If Vash wanted her to take care of Knives, then she was going to do it no matter what that madman may have done to countless others. Food sizzled in frying pans and in the oven while Tyla cut up some pears and apples. She didn't know what Knives was like and figured to bring him a sample platter of everything then go from there. Would he be mad though that a human cooked food for him? Or feel superior, as a master would to a slave? There was only one way to find out. Tyla gathered up a tray with plates and bowls of food, and a tall glass of orange juice then proceeded upstairs for Knives' room.

In a quiet, sunlit room a figure in bed began to stir. There were a few groans and complaints as the inhabitant of the bed started to push the covers back and try to figure out where he was. All he could remember was lying on the ground looking up to Vash. Before fainting, Knives remembered that he smiled to his "foolish" brother...Vash had really gritted it out in the fight. All because he wanted to protect those filthy beasts. How could he have miscalculated his fight with his brother like that? They were both protecting something very important to them. For Knives, his own kind that he felt were enslaved and needed set free. For Vash, the oppressive and backstabbing race of humans. Why had Vash won? What drove him? How deep did that connection to the humans go? All those scars he remembered his brother had...all caused by humans who had forsaken him. How could he continue on forgiving those pests for their sins?! It didn't matter though, did it? Not now...right now, Knives was growing more concerned on figuring out where he was. Pain shot up his body when he managed to sit up in the bed. The regenerative powers of his were working slowly. It meant he needed sustinence for his body's abilities. Where exactly was he? His attention turned to a woman who opened his door and entered the room. Savory smells of food reached his nose yet he refused to give in to that. He was more concerned on why a human was here. Where was Vash? Cold blue eyes watched as the woman set a tray of food down on the table by his bed. Blue eyes met lavender eyes when she looked up and offered a very pleasant and disgustingly innocent smile.

"Hello, Knives. I am Tyla Gales. Your brother is still sleeping if you are wondering. Are you feeling any better? I thought you'd be hungry so I made you food. You ought to eat anyway. Your body needs it's nutrients to heal."

Knives couldn't help but feel a cold shiver of resentment for this girl. This human was daring to tell him what he needed? Even if she was right...she had no authority to tell him what he needed. To his surprise, the woman pulled a chair next to the window and sat down there. There was a caring look in those eyes of hers...much unlike the humans he was used to. Could she really be concerned about him? If she was friends with his brother, Knives was sure Vash told her the stories of the things he done. So why wasn't she scared or resentful of him for killing thousands of her kind? Why did she hold such a honest and genuine shimmer in her eyes? It made him hate her. What did she know about her own species? Was she just as oblivious to their sins as she was of their own murderer sitting before her? Knives gave a glimpse to the food then turned away from it. He laid back down and turned to face the wall, away from the food and from the stupid human girl. He felt too weak to do anything about it right now. Once his strength returned though, he would do something about the nest of humans in this pitiful desert.

Vash finally began to wake around one O'clock in the afternoon. Hands stretched into the air as he let out a satisfied yawn and felt much better after that long slumber. The muscles didn't ache as much and his wounds were almost completely healed. There was a touch of tenderness in his body, but nothing too troublesome. With such good rest, Vash felt he could take on the tasks he had in mind for the day. The letters he would have to write to Meryl and Millie had to be carefree so as not to worry them. Especially Meryl. He wrestled with the thought of telling her Knives was with him and they both were safe, but considering what he had informed her about his hateful brother and the catastrophes he committed, it was in best interest not to alert her to such news.

He'd gone downstairs to the kitchen to find it sparkling clean as usual, but empty. The chair dragged noisily across the wooden floor as he sat down, sat paper on the table in front of him and a pen. He started on his letter to the girls and firstly asked about their welfare. It was better to start out with asking how they were doing first and hoping to deter them by having them explain everything that was happening where they were. He left out the whole idea of battle, of Knives and only stated he was staying with a friend of his in a small town. The risk of having them fleeing their safety to this town and see him was lessened if they weren't given reason to be overly concerned. He emphasized the best he could that he was fine, and would leave soon to their town and meet up. Hopefully this would keep them in their spot and waiting for him instead of chasing after him across the hot sands and unforgiving suns. Finishing up the letter, he sealed it in a white envelope and put it on the table. Later he would visit the local post office and turn it in to be sent. Now, after such a long night's sleep, his stomach again was agonizing for warm, delicious food...and he now noticed the cook of the house was nowhere.

The house turned up empty. Tyla was no where to be found in every room...except one. The door was shut and his hand rested uneasily on the shiny handle. A fear raced through him. If Tyla decided to bring food to him and stay, would Knives still be weak enough to fail in attacking her? It had been his wish not to have her revealed to him until he was awake and introduced Tyla. A soft breath fell off his lips as he mustered the courage and turned the handle. The door swung open to reveal Knives awake and sitting up, silent and motionless as stone. Steam rose from the food on the table beside him, untouched. At the window sitting in a chair was Tyla with a benign expression on her features. The two of them seemed to be tolerating one another...but the moment Vash stepped in fully, azure eyes flickered toward him and narrowed in fury. It stopped the blonde right in his tracks as he caught sight of his brother's murderous gaze.

The raw feeling of hatred flowing through Knives' veins could not be comprehended easily. For him, seeing his brother sparked his anger and it quickly ignited. This was the brother who had betrayed him twice...shot him twice. The same blood and family, and he had turned a weapon on him. If his body had not been in dire pain, Knives would have leapt off this bed and showed his brother the worst hell possible. Even the quiet human sitting in the room watching over him didn't infuriate him as much as his traitorous brother did. Those green eyes his brother possessed softened with pain and sorrow as he stepped out and closed the door. Tyla only observed, not saying a word to Knives or Vash...and it appeared her wounded guest preferred it this way. After Vash had gone, he went back staring into space with those bright blue eyes and becoming motionless once again.

* * *

Evening approached and the day was coming to a close. Shops were closing up and people were returning home to tend to their families. The suns were red on the horizon as they set and casted a golden glow across the sky. All day and Tyla could not get a word from Knives. The man only sat there in the bed silent, still and withdrawn. The enigma sitting before her made her wonder what he was thinking. The pain she saw in Vash's eyes and the pure hatred Knives flashed towards him wa enough to clue her in that Vash had hurt Knives deeply...not only physically, but emotionally. With only his brother for company, to be betrayed by that one person had to have shattered Knives' world. It robbed him of the only safe zone...and now he was at a loss what to do, where to go. Everywhere there were humans and for someone who had a deep running hatred for the human race, it was impossible for him to live. Would he consider himself drowning in a sea of vermin if he was forced to live along humans? Would it suffocate him? Seeing the sun setting and dying away behind the sandy mountains reminded Tyla of the time and the fact she needed to fix dinner. The lunch on the table was cold now and had gone untouched by Knives. Without a single word to him, she had stood and retrieved the tray of food, leaving Knives alone. The door shut silently as she closed it and headed downstairs.

Vash had been sitting at the table snacking on donuts. The newspaper was unfolded all over the table, and his eyes scanning every word printed. Tyla only watched him for a moment and was always amazed at the speed he ate donuts. It reminded her she would have to keep a regular stash of them around if Vash would be living here for a few days.

"Newspapers? Since when do you read newspapers?" Tyla asked Vash. A large, powdered donut had stuffed Vash's mouth so he held up his reason for the newspaper. As Tyla took the cut out paper from his fingers, she frowned.

"Coupons for 50% chocolate donuts at the Donut Factory? Seriously?"

Vash gave eager nods and finished his donut. A gasp of air filled his lungs as he ate it and could breath again. The coupons were set down on the table as Tyla sat in a chair with Vash. Inquisitive eyes stared Vash down and suddenly the great Vash the Stampede was feeling uneasy. Those eyes always meant she was preparing to question him. A smile broke through his features as he looked at her.

" Vash, I want to ask...why is he so stubborn? Why not accept food and water?"

The question made the man think. To answer it, he would have to divulge the whole story to her. There were even parts of his past he could not remember for the sake of his life. Things probably long forgotten or buried down inside him for a reason.

"Truthfully, this is what kind and mild is for him. We came down with the ships a long, long time ago. And we are plants...like I told you before. We were saved from being killed by a woman...named Rem. We were taught about humans and their past...over time, Knives just...one of the crew members abused us and Knives couldn't take that...he's responsible for the ships crash landing on this planet..."

Tyla had always known what Vash was. Common logic told her a man like him could not have survived with that many scars and sling a gun that well without being inhuman. A time long ago she remembered him stumbling to her doorstep bleeding and in bad shape. Bullet holes had riddled his red coat and rivulets of blood pouring down his clothing. Tyla had taken him in and witnessed bullets being pushed out of his body. No human body was capable of such a feat and it was her first clue to his inhuman identity. Medical care was provided to him and he was given as much time as needed to recuperate in her home...and when she questioned him about the incident with the bullets, he decided to let her know. Tyla was the most accepting and kind hearted person he ever met after Rem. A sense of guilt for the way humans express their fear through violence wrecked her a moment...but did it make Knives any different then for being scared of humans and killing them?

* * *

Pasta boiled on the stove as the two worked quietly in the kitchen to make dinner. Night now hung over the sandy, little planet. Tyla decided on something quick to make, choosing spaghetti and garlic toast. It would be another try at getting Knives to eat something or maybe at the very least, try and drink some water. The pasta was strained in the sink and set in a large bowl with heated sauce. A plate was prepared and had two slices of garlic toast set atop the heap. Vash didn't think Knives would accept the food still but it was worth a try. Before she went upstairs to deliver any food to him though, Vash wished to have a talk to Knives.

"Tyla, give me abut ten minutes with him first...ok?"

A look of confusion crossed her features but she only nodded and set the plate aside and went to fix her own and Vash's. It was going to take a lot to get through his brother's thick skull to at least give the humans a second chance.

Blue eyes stared up to the night sky in fixation. Everything in his past since landing here was passing through Knives' mind. The mystery of his brother always protecting those insects still bothered him. Did their own kind deserve to be forever doomed to those damned bulbs and extinguishing their lives to serve these selfish humans? No matter what planet they would have landed on, his brethern were going to be used to make life for the humans to enjoy. That was all humans made them for...if that was so, why give them a conscience? And then there was the matter of something unfamiliar swelling inside him. It wasn't painful nor did it seem to rob him of energy. More...it seemed to give him more energy. It felt like an electrical current coursing through him and though he knew his body and mind were relaxed, deep inside he felt it. It was funny he never in his hundred and twenty years of being here, had this occurrence. As he stared at his hand flexing its fingers, he wondered if it was a power inside of him that was being unleashed and recognized for the first time...and he didn't know how to control it or call on it. The creaking door broke his focus as he stared over the room and saw Vash emerge from behind the door.

Vash crossed the distance and sat by Knives' bed, not speaking right away. Both exchanged glances and it took Vash courage to finally speak up to his brother.

" I'm sorry, Knives...for giving you those injuries. I shouldn't...have shot you so many times."

The apology won no sympathy or forgiveness from Knives. Those features were frozen solid and it didn't seem like anything Vash would say would mean anything to him.

" And...Tyla's just trying to help...I told her about you. What you did...and she is still nice enough to cook food for you, and welcome you into her home. So could you...you know. Accept food and drink, and treat her just a bit more kindly? For a hundred something years...you been trying to convince me to see it your way...it's not fair."

The problem Vash always had was he talked too much. The very sound of his voice was enough to anger Knives. Once his idiot brother had ceased talking and decided quieting down would be more appropriate, Knives decided he would say something after the whole day.

"I'll give you the benefit of the doubt for three weeks, brother. If I don't see anything new...I'll kill them all."

A silence overcame them both and Vash could find no words. A hundred and twenty long years Knives had been trying to convince him that humans were parasites...and here, Vash had three weeks to prove to him not all of them were. That there were kind people still in the world like Rem. Not all hope was lost. It was the best chance he would get and if Knives promised his full cooperation, it would hopefully work the way Vash wanted. He left his brother's room and began walking downstairs, pondering about the situation. Deep down...something nagged at him. Would Knives change his mind in three weeks? Was it enough time? Somehow, Vash's more negative beliefs filtered in. The biggest fear was having to fight his brother again and mentally, he prepared himself. He had hope in humans...but he hadn't much hope invested in his brother.


	2. Growing Toleration

Eh it's shorter than the first chapter. x.x Sorry. It took me a while to update. Hoping one update every week. It's my normal goal. But no more than two weeks. Hope you enjoy this new chapter! And thanks for the reviews! Let me know how you like the story and where it's going or if you have questions. Thanks!

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Chapter 2

Growing Toleration

A breeze was whistling through the small town of Rakuen. Yet, in such a desolate and barren place as the planet Gunsmoke, it was not a very cooling breeze. It was warm, and gentle over the skin...but generally accepted more than the stagnant, baking heat of the two suns. It was a much welcomed change in the normally constant summer weather. Children played in the streets, and even schools and jobs decided such a day shouldn't be spent indoors.

Inside the house, windows were kept open to tempt the breeze to enter. Appetizing smells of eggs, pancakes and bacon filled the air in the kitchen. A small sonogram on a small table played a relaxing and peaceful melody as Tyla worked in the kitchen. The back door slammed open and Vash came stumbling in with a pile of clean clothes in a basket. He set it on the kitchen table and sighed with a smile, content with the chores he accomplished today. Washing the laundry, hanging it to dry and helping Tyla with the dishes in the meantime. With the help of the excessive heat here, and the breeze, the clothes dried quite quickly for them. The moment he set down the laundry though, he was right over Tyla's shoulder staring longingly at the sizzling food in the frying pan. Tyla cast him a quick look and smiled, always finding Vash's endless pit of a stomach amusing. "Ok, ok, go sit down and stop slobbering on me! It will be finished soon," she chided him as she stacked pancakes onto a large plate. Vash obeyed and sat at the table, ready to eat. He planned on visiting the orphanage later in the afternoon...something he took to doing after Nicholas' death. There were many things he disagreed on with Nicholas, but the man no matter what he was or did, had a heart for children and it was highly commendable. Visiting the orphanage was like letting Nichola's spirit live on through himself, or so Vash wanted to believe. A plate of blueberry pancakes with syrup, bacon and side of scrambled eggs was set before Vash and with a knife and fork, it was quickly devoured. By time Tyla had prepared Knives' plate for breakfast, Vash had cleaned his.

" Mister, I do hope you clean up those dishes and the table after making such a mess," Tyla warned him. Indeed crumbs had fallen onto the table and marred the perfect, clean beauty of Tyla's kitchen. Vash always thought she was a clean freak, but he supposed it was because she found a serenity in keeping a clean house. Compared to some places he seen others living in, he couldn't find a reason to blame her.

"I will! And, I will be going to the orphanage soon. I'll put the laundry up and head out, ok?" Vash said. She only smiled graciously at him and nodded. He had grabbed the basket with its teetering tower of laundry and rushed upstairs to put it all away. Tyla had prepared her own plate of food and was eating when Vash came back down and waved bye as he left. Tyla said her goodbyes and hoped he would have a good time with the children. They were always so playful, and treated Vash as one of their own. It was kind of cute watching them beat Vash up and him not raising a single finger up to defend himself. The funny faces he always made when they piled on him were also very entertaining. While on these occasions she liked to join him and watch this, she had his brother to tend to. The ever stoic, silent and hateful Knives. It made her frown as she thought of another attempt to get him to eat food. Nevertheless, she placed the prepared plate of food on a tray with orange juice and went upstairs.

* * *

Knives was awake and sitting up in bed, staring out the window at the bright daylight. It was another day trapped in this hell. He pondered the promise he made to his brother and how he could fulfill it. Everything in his mind repelled the idea of giving the insufferable humans a second chance to understand them. Even after his showdowns with Vash and disagreements the two have had, he still loved his brother. That was his blood, his immediate family. He owed it to Vash to at least give his views a try after fueding with him for more than a century. Knives posture in bed stiffened as he heard the door creaking open and that female walking through with a tray of warm food. Despite what she was, his stomach growled for it. Days without consuming any food was wreaking havoc on his stomach and body. It was probably smart to go ahead and eat the food to help speed his recovery but the everlasting hate Knives had kept him in place. As the food was set on the table beside him to eat, Tyla crossed the room and sat in the chair by the window. A faint smile remained on her soft lips and Knives just could not comprehend why she always seemed so peaceful and happy. Even with the tempting scent of food lingering under his nose, he steeled his will and refused to touch it.

Time ticked by on the clock slowly. The second hand making its neverending race around the clock and the minute hand always trailing so slowly behind it...and even slower, the hour hand. All three moved a good deal of space though as the suns moved across the sky and Tyla did not grow tired or impatient with Knives' stubbornness. It was after all this time had raced across the clock face and sky, that she decided it was time to say something to him.

"You must eat..." she said, voicing her concern for him. It made Knives turn his angry gaze towards her for a moment at the idea of her telling him what he needed to do. Tyla didn't waver under the harsh gaze and only continued to try and persuade him..even as far as making a lighthearted joke in her direction.

"If it makes you feel better, imagine I made this food for you because you are much superior to my kind and I must serve you because of that," she said with a soft and genuinely truthful tone. Knives stared at her a moment longer and couldn't help but allow a corner of his lips pull up in a faint, but smug smile. While neither of them said a word to each other afterwards, the awkward air in the room seemed to have lifted at last.

* * *

Vash came back to the home with a slightly bruised eye, some sore spots and a torn shirt. The kids at the orphanage had been real glad to see him. Almost too glad...that they nearly tore him to pieces at first sight. It was worth it to see their smiling faces and carefree glee. As Vash set down a large box of donuts, he again noticed Tyla gone from the kitchen. This time he had a good idea where she was and went to Knives' room. When the door opened, Tyla was sitting in her usual chair and Knives hadn't moved from the spot he had on the bed...and also noticed Knives again hadn't touched any of the food Tyla prepared for him. It was a lot of good, delicious food gone to a complete waste. Tyla gave Vash a defeated look and stood, exiting the room without a word. The two brothers were left alone and the almost serene mood Knives seemed to have been in had soured. It was obvious he was still sore over what Vash had done to him. Vash dragged the wooden chair to his brother's bedside and sat down backwards, resting his arms on the back. Nothing he did caught Knives' attention and he continued to stare right ahead of him.

"Knives. You must eat..." Vash encouraged. He only stared at his brother now with all emotion drained from his blue eyes. To see his eyes so empty was frightening and Vash was hoping Knives wasn't giving up. Giving up now meant Knives would never be able to see these humans in Rakuen for the good people they were.

"It'll make you heal faster so you won't be in bed all the time..." Vash hinted. Knives stared at the cold food for a moment and grimaced. Cold food didn't taste to good to him and decided if he was to eat, he would eat a lunch. Knives only gave a single nod of his head in acknowledgement, not wanting to start talking lest Vash began to ramble on and agitate him. Seeing this as a sign that he may begin to loosen up, Vash made a fatal error in judgement when he told Knives he ought to come down and join them for dinner.

" Tonight, why don't you join me and Tyla for dinner? She is an excellent cook," he explained in a cheerful voice. It didn't bode well with him and he turned on Vash quickly.

" I am NOT going to participate in some 'dinner' with you and that woman! I rather be left alone!"

Vash's smile disappeared and his emerald eyes hardened as he glared at Knives. The man was stubborn to the core and trying to change him would take more than a miracle. The chair was pushed back angrily as Vash stood and continued on staring his brother down.

"This works two ways. You aren't giving them a chance if you refuse to interact!"

The door opened just after Vash yelled at Knives and Tyla stood there with a crossed look on her face. A warm cheese sandwich was resting on a plate with a side of fresh cut fruits and a glass of water. The tray was set down as she took up the cold breakfast and said nothing to the two blondes. Whatever their differences was, she was not in the right place to say anything. The two didn't look her way, Vash more embarrassed that Tyla had to witness him angry like that. Still, her mood did not seemed changed and she smiled to Vash.

" Lunch is done if you want to come down and have some...and Knives...please. Please eat something..." she said with full concern. It surprised Knives to hear such deep concern in her voice for him, though she hardly had known him a day. The surprise quickly faded to anger as he narrowed his eyes and glared at the wall beside him. A human did not need to show him any kind of sympathy; he had no good need for it. Vash said nothing more to Knives as he followed Tyla out of the room and closed the door behind them. It would seem he needed time to think to himself and hopefully with luck, realize he had been childish the past twenty-four hours.

* * *

At last, the evening had arrived. People seemed to go home earlier today and cook their dinners earlier than the week days. Tyla had started on dinner an hour early than normal, the succulent scents of beef, vegetables and sauces filled the corners of the house. It had already lured the ever hungry Vash downstairs. To pass the time until he could taste those delicate morsels of food, he set the table with plates, silverware and napkins, taking his time and hoping to distract himself enough to not take one bit of food before it was served. As the steaks sizzled in the skillet and the mixed vegetables were fried in another with soy sauce, Tyla was cutting up fruits. Strawberries, watermelon, pineapple and canteloupe were among the mixture in the large bowl she had beside her. A seperate plate had been set aside for Knives and was being loaded with food to take up to him. The stubborn nature he possessed convinced Tyla he may not listen to Vash and come down tonight. It'd take time for him to decide if he wished to join them or not. Both would be rather surprised though. Bowls of fresh cut fruit and stiry fried vegetables were being set on the table when both of them noticed someone making their way down the stairs. Tyla looked up to see Knives leaning against the wall, sliding himself against it as he made his way down the stairs. Vash was stunned but only for a few moments before he rushed to Knives' side and helped him to a seat. He only sat there quietly, casting a glare towards Tyla as she was setting food out. " I...want food. Now..." he demanded. It was rude and ill-mannered of him but as Vash was about to correct his brother's attitude, Tyla only held a hand up to silence him.

"It's ok, Vash. Let him alone and I'll get his food," she offered. The gaze she gave Vash made him remain quiet and let his brother go by without a word of reprimand. A steaming plate of steak, homemade mashed potatoes and stir fried vegetables was set before Knives and he allowed his hardly existent smirk to grace a corner of his mouth. His stomach had been denied nutrients for too long and it had been very foolish on his part. No matter how he treated her, Tyla was only happy Knives was talking and able to move...and finally deciding to eat some food. As she joined the table with the two to eat, Vash began to hungrily shovel the food into his mouth, delighting in the savory taste. It made Knives freeze as he glared at his brother for his lack of table manners. Not able to take the slurping and dog-like manners no more, Knives shouted at him.

" Damn it, Vash! Don't you have better manners than a pig?!"

It made Vash stop in mid bite...he swallowed his food and laughed nervously. Being corrected in front of his friend had been embarrassing though he blamed it on her excellent cooking. Knives went back to staring at the food before taking a bite of the potatoes. He paused as he tasted it and had to admit it was quite good...but he would never on his life say this to the girl. Instead, he simply went on to eat the food without a glance towards her and Vash followed suit but with his manners in check now. Tyla could only smile at them and was proud of Knives for ignoring his hatred for once to join her and Vash for supper. It was apparent he was extremely cautious as she found his blue eyes darted about. It caused her concern for him to be so paranoid and wished to understand the reasoning behind it. Here in Rakuen, no one would harm you or mean to cause you any harm. No normal citizen owned a gun with the exception of the police...and at that, they never had to use their guns. As far as she could remember, none of them ever had to unholster the dreaded, cruel weapon.

As dinner was finished and the dishes collected to be cleaned, Vash bantered with Knives about his condition. In the end, Knives was able to convince Vash he could get to his room by himself. The dishes were getting done quite quickly and put on the drying rack next to the sink. It was irritating to see how serene and peaceful Tyla seemed to be. Nothing scared or frightened her easily. Vash said Tyla knew about the things he done, and yet she treated him as if he was harmless. Nothing gave away the fact she might be intimidated or scared of him and a deep desire was churning in him that wanted to make her fear him and hate him...that he was no harmless being. Once the last plate was cleaned she turned to him and stared for a moment. It broke Knives' concentration as he tried to figure out what she was looking at.

"We ought to change those bandages," she said. "Stay here, ok?" and before Knives could protest, she had disappeared down a small hallway from sight. It wasn't long before she returned with a small medical kit and set it on the table. The contents were quickly pulled out and arranged on the table for use. Rolls of gauze, salves and medical tape. Surely by now his wounds should be mostly healed, enough to have no need for the bandages. Once the rolls of soiled gauze came off though he was disgusted to see they weren't wholly healed and was red around the edges. No infections seemed to have set in. None of the skin had died off, nor was there any fluid leakage or puss. Azure eyes watched her as she worked on him, allowing her to do so without complaint. Saline drenched his wounds to clean them and sticky salves applied carefully to aid in the repair. Fresh, white gauze was wrapped liberally around them and taped together. As he studied her movements and actions, he noticed her glancing at the clock frequently. There appeared to be a time limit to something he wasn't aware of. It was irritating him and eating away at his curiosity.

"What is so fascinating about the time?" he asked. Tyla paused a moment as she was putting the kit back together. The latch clicked and she turned to him with a smile.

"You need rest, Knives...come on," she said gently. The lack of an answer to his question angered him and he got up without her help and went upstairs. A human helping him to his bed would be incredibly weak of him and he refused to show weakness to this one. He wouldn't head for the room. Instead the destination he was heading for was the bathroom. Once he was in he closed the door and locked it, sliding down the wall and sitting there staring at his hands. The anger he felt surging through him woke that tingling power inside him he felt yesterday. Focus was placed on his anger and he managed to empower that emotion. It created a strange energy inside him and he was not sure if it was a good idea or not to fuse these energies. Knives didn't have a second to decide whether or not he wanted to. In a single moment, protusions shot out of his arms zig-zagging their way around the room. Fear was instilled in Knives as he stared at the blade-like protusions and quickly he forgotten his fury at Tyla. As soon as they appeared, they retracted back into his being with the backlash of his energy slamming back into him. Rapid intakes of breath tore through his lungs as he regained control of his emotions. Whatever this was, it was influenced by his power as a plant, and his emotions...and it scared the living shit out of him not knowing how to control it like a gun. When he healed from these damned wounds, he would have to concentrate all his time into mastering it before it fully engulfed him.


	3. A Sign of Hope

-bows- I am so sorry it took so long to update this. I been trying to keep up with a site online, manga, work, stories...and so much more. x.x It is really a confusing mess. But finally! An update for my Trigun fic! Three updates for three stories in one week! I am doing good. Thanks for the reviews so far! I have not worked with an OC before for a long, long, long time...so I am a bit rusty. I have some work done on her and I don't want her to be some gung-ho, tomboyish, rogue (like a lot of the girls in Trigun). Hopefully, you all will enjoy! please, leave reviews and let me know your thoughts! Thank you!

p.s. NO flaming. I know OCs are prior to flaming. If you want to criticize my work, CONSTRUCTIVE CRITICISM is more informative and helpful than saying, " You suck, this sucks, eat shit and die, etc." That...doesn't help me. And it only proves your immaturity. Thank you again!

* * *

Chapter 3

A Sign of Hope 

Mornings were always so tranquil in Rakuen. Birds chirped in the air, and the suns poured light onto their dusty world. The normal bustle of people were out again doing their normal routines; shopping, gossiping and trekking to work. Groups of men laughed as they headed to sites where they were building up homes , and women picking and choosing foods while the children played together in the square. It was a picturesque paradise, where the violence hadn't yet stained the good nature of these people.  
Early morning, Tyla was already up and humming gentle tunes as she turned the water and electricity back on. The suns were beginning to float higher into the sky as time passed, and illuminated the kitchen in a brilliant, warm light. The blonde woman pranced around her impeccably clean kitchen, picking food from the cabinets and refridgerator, and setting them on the counter. Three different pans were set on the eyes of the stove and been wiped down with oil to prevent the food from sticking. An apron was tied around her waist before she set to work preparing breakfast for herself and her two guests. Last night she had an epiphany how to hopefully soften Knives to her and the village harboring him, and after a hearty breakfast, she was planning on sharing with him something precious to her.  
The scent of food wafted upstairs. Vash had been up since early dawn, practicing. A blindfold rested on his head and he held his gun in his hand with a coin balancing on it. The coin rested upwards, threatening to roll off the barrel of the gun. Vash's arm was a blur as he dropped the gun and spun around. Before the coin could fall to the floor, it hit the barrel of the gun again with a soft ting, and rested once again standing upwards without sliding off. All focus had been on his training in the morning, a routine he followed stubbornly. Only one thing could distract the man...and that was the scent of delicious food. It slipped through the cracks of the door and reached Vash's nose. The coin rolled down the gun barrel and hit the floor with a loud ping before it became still. Fingers pushed the blindfold onto the forehead as innocent green eyes stared at the door. Vash gave a louder sniff at the air and instantly his stomach growled. The gun was holstered as he ran down the stairs and stepped into the kitchen. Tyla was tending to food cooking on the stove. Bacon sizzled, eggs bubbled and toast was browning in a skillet.

"That smells wonderful, Tyla! Is it gonna be done yet? Is it? Is it?" he hounded, as he peeked over her shoulder, hungry eyes glued to the food.

Tyla laughed at Vash's antics and swatted him away, ordering him to be patient. Not being able to contain his energy, Vash began to get plates and glasses out. Busying himself helped him take his mind off the food and calm his stomach. As Vash set out the last plate, both he and Tyla stopped when they heard shuffling. It was perhaps a fluke that Knives had decided to join them for dinner last night, but surely an act of God for him to also decide on joining them in the morning for breakfast. Last night he had slid his way down the staircase and needed help to get into the chair. Now, he seemed sturdy enough on his own feet albeit some wincing that gave away the fact he was still in pain. The chair was pulled back and he seated himself silently, not looking at Vash or Tyla. Cold, blue eyes stayed glued at the shiny plate resting on the table. Tyla crossed over and scraped scrambled eggs from the skillet onto his plate. Each plate was filled evenly with the cooked food. Eggs, toast with jam, bacon and thin slices of steak rested on each plate, steaming and fresh from the pan. Vash and Tyla seated themselves, wary eyes watching Knives as he calmly ate the food without the need to be persuaded. For them, this was a vast improvement and both prayed it would continue.

"Are you heading out this morning, Vash?" Tyla asked politely. The man nodded vigorously and wiped his mouth from food. He remembered Knives' outburst last night over his mannerisms, and was trying hard to keep himself from being too messy.

"Uh yeah. I was thinking of goin' out and seeing the kids again...why?" he asked. Tyla kindly asked if he could buy some groceries to bring back. Vash happily accepted and got a list of the necessities. Breakfast was finished quickly, due mostly to Vash's bottomless stomach and neverending hunger. The dirtied plates were collected as Vash headed out. Tyla put them in the sink and began her routine of cleaning them, filling the basin with hot water and soap. Knives watched her as she went about the business, seeing how serene she still remained. Time went by quickly and Knives was brought from his thoughts by a gentle shake to his shoulder. He peered up at the smiling woman and wondered exactly what it was she was smiling about.

"...Knives. Come with me. There's something I want you to see...please?" she asked him gently. There were doubts what this was about, and most of him wanted to decline. The true core of him wanted nothing to do with these humans...but he supposed he should grit it and make good on his deal with his brother...and he soon found himself following the woman.

* * *

The market was busy as always. People were stocking up on their fruits, vegetables and meats, while picking out spices and other commodities. Vash held the money in his hand that Tyla gave him and stared at the list. A bag at his side contained all the meats Tyla wanted, and his next mission was to get the fruits and vegetables. Seeing the herd in front of him, he took a deep breath, stood straight with his chest thrown out and walked right into the fray. It was considered absurd to walk into a crowd like that but Vash did it anyway and came out with the needed items...along with a few scraps and bruises.

"Oiy!...Why can't there be more markets? Smeone could really get hurt," he complained to himself and dusted off the red coat. Checking to make sure the food wasn't damaged, he then went to sit at the square to rest before returning to Tyla's. The bags were propped on the wooden bench as he leaned back and sighed. The sunlight felt good on his fair skin. The warmth revitalized him and gave him a sense of calm. The little time of serenity cleared his mind of most thoughts...but his mind couldn't be left alone for long. A deep sense of worry was nagged at him. Was it safe to leave Tyla with his brother, alone? Knives' temper was very short fused, and he was bothered by humans. Tyla was a patient, sweet woman...but that's not what was necessary to defend one's self against Knives if he decided to betray his deal. Strength, power and accuracy was the key to winning a fight with Knives...and if Tyla was forced into a corner, in fear for her life...there was no telling what may happen...

"I shouldn't have left them alone..." he whispered to himself. Fingers curled into the bags' handles as he shot up and was about to take off to get back. Eyes widened as he fell face first into the dusty ground and the bags were dropped. The chorus of laughter came from the voices of children who had tackled Vash to the ground, demanding he play with them. They hugged onto his arms and legs, pulling at his coat and begging. A smile spread across the blonde man's face as he gazed upon the kids...and hoped his brother and Tyla would be safe.

* * *

The greenery was a rarity, and often seen as a sign of wealth. In this barren wasteland of desert, to see any form of grass, trees or flowers was normally only seen in picture books. Yet here in the backyard of this house, was a spread of lush, deep green grass, tall, elegant trees, and vibrantly colored flowers. The battlefield Vash and he fought on was green, and there were trees...but it had been something Knives created on his own with his own powers. How did this woman come across a fertility plant that could produce such beauty? The two walked across the grass barefoot, the blades cool and springy under their feet. She led him to the middle of the yard that was surrounded by the flower beds and rows of trees. She sat down and looked up to him, expecting him to join her. A soft grumble escaped his lips as he settled himself carefully onto the grass and remained silent. Eyes still scanned the area, obviously interested in how it came to grow into the little paradise it was.

"It wasn't always like this, you know," sensing his suspicions. A doubtful eye was turned on her when she said this, and she only offered that enigmatic smile and told him the story behind the miracle of life here.

" I bought the property ten years ago. It was barren, sandy and desolate as the rest of the desert here. It took time to get the house built, and make sure it would last during the sandstorms and intense heat. But...I worked hard. One day, I was eating an apple and thought, ' What if I plant this little seed in the sand? I doubt it will grow, but...it doesn't hurt to try'. I did so, and watered it everyday. Gave it all the nurturing I could. One day, months after I tried so hard...this little sprout poked out of the ground. I stared at it in wonderment, baffled by how this miracle happened.  
Months later, patches of green began to grow from the ground. My mother told me it was called grass, and that if a garden was growing in my yard, I should nurture it everyday and take good care of it. And so far, I have," she explained. Knives stared at her a moment, silent as before. Only Knives felt he knew the truth and that was only a plant, one of his kind, would be capable of such life. Both sat there among the stretch of grass, basking in the sun and their own thoughts. Knives placed hs hands on the ground and looked up sharply at Tyla. She had placed her hands on the ground too, and was leaning back. An energy was resonating with her touch. Could it be the town's plant reacting to Tyla through the growth of grass? Or was it something entirely different?

* * *

Once again, pans were out on the stove, cooking something delicious. The suns were setting on the horizon, painting the sky in gold and red hues. It was a Saturday night, and normally dinner was cooked earlier than usual due to their town's law. Both brothers were sitting at the table, neither saying anything to one another. Knives was simply sitting there, and Vash was helping Tyla with getting the table set. The quiet atmosphere was disturbed by loud knocks at the front door. Vash jumped to get it and ran to the front door. The voices were too soft for either Knives or Tyla to hear but the source was soon revealed. Tyla looked to see her parents entering the doorway with Vash. It was a surprise for Tyla, who hadn't talked to her parents and had no idea they would be visiting tonight.

"Mother, father...I wasn't expecting you," she said finally. Only enough food was being cooked for three people, but due to their unexpected guests, she went to the fridge to bring out more to cook up for them. As they were getting seated, she exchanged a worried look with Vash as he sat next to his brother, and her parents across from the two.  
"Well now...we know you, Vash...this other man must be your brother. Oh, you two look so much alike!" Tyla's mother praised. If only the woman really knew who the man was, she probably would not sound so kind. A nervous chuckle came from Vash as he scratched the back of his head and wondered if this situation could get any worse. Knives cast a glare at the group, not saying a word. It did not escape Vash's eye and he apologized for him.

"My brother's sick right now...he's not feeling all that well," he informed them. The two nodded their heads and wished Knives better health. The kind gesture did not register with Knives as he looked away, not wanting to look upon these weak beings before him.

As Tyla finished with the feast of food, and set it on the plates before her guests, she finally took her own seat at the head of the table. They all ate, with Vash talked excitedly to her parents. They always did get along well with the man, despite the tall tale stories that were spread across Gunsmoke. Not all of them were without merit however. Tyla remained silent, just as Knives did and ate. Lavender eyes briefly glanced up to see how Knives was working on his food. Those cold, icy eyes of his met with hers briefly before they quickly averted down to the food on his plate. The chatter between her parents and Vash was not of much interest to either of them and both simply wanted to indulge in their food.

Dessert had been baking in the oven while they ate and the sweet scent of cinnamon, apples and caramel reached their noses. The plates were cleaned of their dinners and placed in the sink. A hot apple pie was brought out of the oven and set on the stove to cool off. Tyla's parents were complimenting Tyla's cooking skills, and telling Vash that ever since she was a child, she been a chef. Vash laughed and told his stories of visiting here and always being treated to an abundance of food, a soft bed and kind hospitality.  
"How are you feeling, Knives?" Tyla's father asked kindly. The blonde whose face was paled, glared at the man and muttered, "fine". The curt answer made the father look to his wife beside him and he sighed. Something was bothering them from the moment Vash introduced his brother to them.

"Are you...the same Knives responsible for the disappearance of that whole town? Where the name was written on the town's monument?" her father asked him, a weight behind his words. Knives stared at him as he asked this, and wondered why he sensed no resentment. Knives decided on being truthful, to hopefully stimulate fear from this human. "Yes," he replied simply. Those blue orbs didn't shy away from the human as he only nodded grimly. Still, the sense of fear was not there. It felt more like he was sad, or disappointed. The apple pie was being sliced up by Tyla, who had her back to them. What they had discussed had stilled her hand a moment. It wasn't fear that hit her when they brought that subject up, but...something else entirely. A shameful feeling of awe...but to be awed by such power fueled by evil intentions was highly inappropriate. It did not represent the peaceful teachings this town had raised her on.

"Dessert's ready, you guys," she announced and put out plates, each with a slice of pie on it. A fork was handed out to them to eat with, and Tyla's parents dug in. The subject of Knives' sin against all of humanity hadn't been mentioned again while they filled themselves on homemade pie.

Time was ticking by and Tyla would have to ready the brothers for bed, and begin the process of turning off all the electricity and water. Night had taken over the sky already, and the stars were shimmering. Tyla and Vash saw her parents out, with Knives trailing behind them with arms folded. Tyla gave them each a hug and thanked them for coming over.  
"Why don't you guys come over again sometime? We'll make a day out of it," Tyla offered. It made them smile and they said they should make plans. Tyla's mother kissed Tyla's cheek then she turned to Knives who was facing the wall. "Knives," she called to him with a firm voice. It made the bandaged man turn his attention to her.  
"I'm sure you have your reasons how you make your decisions, but Tyla has a golden heart...You have a haven here with her. No matter what everything thinks about the things you done," she said. The words stunned Knives. If they all knew the atrocities he done, the lengths he went to to exterminate their kind, then why did they forgive him so easily? Why did they have no protests against harboring a murderer like himself? Why...didn't they hate him with as much intensity as he hated them?

* * *

Water rested in the sink with mountains of suds. There was two more hours until all the water and electricity had to be turned off. Vash helped Tyla dry the dishes and put them away after she washed them. Knives stayed at the table, glaring at the two. This had to be a dream. A nightmare. For a human town to be this kind, and this forgiving, was very foolish. Part of him still loved his brother, which was what directed him to make that idiotic deal with him. This was no cure for his hatred. Once someone learned something, you couldn't forget it easily. Watching those videos how humans warred and destroyed the very planet they lived on gave birth to the hate. Did he make the deal with his brother though, because he loved him...or because maybe, he secretly hoped Vash was right?

"Good night, Vash," Tyla said to him, as he bounded upstairs to go to bed. Vash gave Knives a warning look as he headed up the stairs and disappeared. Knives was offended, thinking that so far, he had been handling himself quite well. As goofy and laughable his brother could be, he knew Vash could also be cunning...such as bringing him to a remarkably peaceful town populated by humans to try and prove him wrong. The soapy, dirty water in the sink was drained and Tyla was drying her hands on a rag. Turning to Knives, she leaned against the counter and watched him.

"...Well, it's been a whole day. Why don't we take a look under those bandages? Being a plant, I'm sure you're nearly all healed," she said cheerfully. Knives remained seated as she brought the kit out just in case he did need more wrappings. Scissors cut away the bandages and inspected the wounds. The affected areas indeed had closed up well, and only redness remained. They were still in the process of healing but he wouldn't need the bandages anymore. Tyla's eyes flickered to the clock again and the action did not get cross Knives. This was the second night he seen her glancing to the clock and hurrying. No salves or bandages were needed so Tyla began to hurriedly pack the supplies back. The rushing piqued his interest and he wanted that answer, since yesterday she brushed him off.

"Again, you're rushing, human...what is so important?" he demanded. Tyla paused and averted her eyes to the floor. No answer was given for his question as the latch to the kit was snapped close and she began to stand up and walk away. The frustration Knives was feeling hit its high point as he reached out and grabbed Tyla's wrist tightly, yanking her back. He was unaccustomed to being ignored or brushed off, and he would not allow it a second time. The shock of being touched and handled in such a way showed in her soft eyes as she looked upon them. They sobered once she met his face and grimaced. Being an outsider, he was not aware of this town's laws and probably would not understand them.  
"Answer me!" he demanded. Teeth bit softly at her lower lip as Tyla's gaze drifted to the floor.

"You would think it foolish of us, Knives...but...every Friday, Saturday and Sunday night...ALL the citizens of this town turn their electric and water off by eleven p.m. to give the plants a rest. There are two here. We need them to survive, but...we wish not to work them around the clock. With no need for them to put out energy, they can rest and recover...we are not allowed to turn the water and electricty back on until seven in the morning. This is supposed to lessen their output, and prolong their lives," she admitted. Knives understood the humans needed the plant's power to survive on this desolate planet, but he never heard of a case where they went to such extremes to show kindness to a plant. They still used them which went against his desires, but in some form, they showed their thanks by giving them a rest. No other town was like this, and it was very bizarre. Knives fingers slowly uncurled around her wrist and freed her. White imprints from his grip lingered on her bare skin. With anger flooding his veins, he growled and shoved the chair back, heading upstairs to bed. This was a subject he wished to further investigate, and included him wanting to visit the town's plants to verify everything Tyla just told him.

The slamming of the door signaled that she was finally alone. A deep sigh left her as she began the process of shutting off the electricity and water. The first aid kit was stored away again, and the candles taken out of a drawer. A match lit one that was placed in a holder and brought with her upstairs. She came to the doors of her guests and peeked in. Vash was sprawled on his bed, his face in the pillow and happily sleeping. A smile came to her lips as she knew this man deserved rest. The door was closed silently as she went next door to Knives. As she peeked in, she was met with a glare from him as he was settling in bed. Tyla gave a grim nod and summoned her voice to speak to him. "Good night, Knives," she said sweetly. The man made no response and turned with his back faced towards her. Shaking her head as she closed his door, she knew he would need a lot of work. Something had to open his eyes and save him from the darkness.


	4. Intruders in the Morning

And another chapter! Sorry it's been taking so long to update. Lot of stuff going on, life changing events, and the like. But finally! A new chapter to my Trigun fiction. I will be working on my TifaLoz fic after this, then the Resident Evil one...I am trying to establish some kind of rotation so this one may take a bit, depending on my writing mood. Thanks for all the wonderful reviews! I hope to keep seeing them and not to disappoint. Tell me all what you think, what you get from the story. I appreciate it all, and thanks again! And the chapter is long...to make up for the absence.

* * *

Chapter 4  
Intruder in the Morning

The stores in this town were limited when it came to clothing. They made their own clothing in their own town, produced the material themselves and didn't rely on any caravans. It was not to say the clothing in the town of Rakuen was shabby. Many boutiques had nice numbers for ladies and young women and at least two shops that sold stylish suits for the men. One of these stores was named Raedut's which was where sweet Tyla had gone and was fingering through the clothing.  
Many styles of pants of all different materials were hung on a rack, varying in color. While Vash had been sleeping in the morning, she had snuck inside and during his heavy sleep, checked the size of his clothing to make sure she got a good fit. Figuring he and his brother, Knives, were twins and appeared to be of the same size, she didn't have check his. A small cart was being pushed and bundles of clothing grew. Shirts, pants, belts, boots, suspenders, vests, undershirts and the list grew. Any form of garment available for wear was somewhere in the pile. Tyla pushed the cart to the small, beaten counter and had everything rung up. The total was a hefty sum of double dollars, but the young lady did not seem to care. Tyla thanked the old man behind the counter and left a generous tip in the small, empty canister.

The suns were bearing upon them brightly, as they did everyday. The town could only remember three days total there had been rainstorms, in the past hundred something years. While it was a sandy, dry planet, there was life such as the sandworms and the thomases and for life, there was water. Most adapted to the heat and even came to enjoy it like Tyla. She loved the feel of the warm heat on her fair skin, the energy it infused into her body. A soft tune hummed from behind her lips as she walked down the busy streets for home with her many bags in her hands. The small watch she wore startled Tyla into jogging the rest of the way.

"Crap!" she exclaimed, wanting to get back soon. It was getting late in the morning, and she was sure Vash was up and looking lost with no food on the table.

* * *

Knives stretched as he woke up. The pain was subdued to the point it was only a minor, stiff ache in his muscles. Pulling the bandages off, he saw the skin red, but the wounds were closed and no longer needed the bandages. Strength was flowing through his veins, giving him the energy to get up without difficulty. Knives stood in his room and flexed his fingers, looking at them. Muscles still cramped slightly and it caused a force that made the body want to lie back down and rest. Laziness didn't suit Knives well however, and he refused to succumb to his body's desires to climb back into that infernal bed. The clock on the wall read ten in the morning...it was funny. By now, he would be bothered by the scent of different foods cooking all at once. While he would never admit it, the scent was always pleasing. However, the smell that permeated the air now was offending. It smelt like burnt wood and scorched meat. Knives' nose wrinkled in distaste as he ventured downstairs to see what was going on.  
Knives came down the stairs in the loose garments provided for him. A blonde brow was arched as he watched his clumsy brother burning what used to be strips of bacon in a skillet. Slices of bread lay on a plate, looking like two pieces of granite. Smoke flooded the room and choked Knives. The coughing startled Vash as he turned to see who was behind him, holding a smoldering spatula.

"What...in the world...are you...doing?" Knives choked out. He staggered to a window and pushed it open, fanning out all the smoke and clearing the room.

"Trying to make...bacon sandwiches!" Vash managed to get out, helping his brother fan out the gray smoke. Knives rushed to the stove and took the skillet off the eye, and set it in the sink. The fire was turned off and water ran over the burnt strips of pork and sizzling hot pan. White smoke billowed up and a strange hiss was heard as the cold water hit the pan.

"Well why don't you leave that to the human, Vash? At least she doesn't burn anything!" he shot back. It took a while before the smoke was cleared out. Both had red eyes with moisture leaking from them. Knives made a solemn promise to himself that if he ever caught his brother trying to cook breakfast, he would take the skillet and hit him upside the head for being so reckless. Both sat at the table, with azure eyes furiously glaring at Vash. The easy-going, goofy brother only managed to get out a weak laugh and avoid the angry Knives' eyes. When Vash got up, he had searched all over the property for Tyla. No food had been cooked and the pans from last night still laid in the drying rack. The woman had gone out and no food had been prepared, so Vash tried his own hand at making breakfast only to fail miserably. A long silence passed before Knives stood abruptly from the table and left the kitchen. A little remorse struck Vash as he gave thought to his brother. He did throw his brother into this situation against his will...he could not expect Knives to adjust smoothly to a lifestyle he despised. It worried Vash to let Knives go on his own around the house, with no eye on him...but maybe he needed to be shown some trust in order to set an example.

* * *

The car sped down the ruddy, dirt road, kicking up a thick cloud of dust into the hot air. A clean shaven man with slicked back brown hair sat in the driver's seat comfortably, steering the vehicle with one hand. Hazel eyes glanced at a road sign, informing drivers that the town of Rakuen was only fifteen miles away. It had been two months since he had been to this peaceful town, where he had stirred up a little trouble. Living out in the rough, callous cities had reminded him just how cut throat everyone was. It made him want to return to the town again, to the lovely blonde woman whom he had dated. When he revealed to her he wanted to travel the dusty planet of Gunsmoke and return to his "business" of robbing banks, she refuted angrily and said he was no better than that flashy idiot Brilliant Dynamites Neon from the Bad Lad Gang. For Jesse, that was a damned insult...and while the two were in their heated debate over his "career", other townsfolk got involved, and chased him out of town. Tyla had told him as he was being forced out she wanted nothing more to do with him.  
Jesse Dillinger tried to live an honest life after he seen how much he hurt that lovely woman. Trying to live an honest life though was hard. No job opportunities, people fighting continuously in towns, and any pay given out was hardly enough for a single person to live on. After trying to keep a job as an assistant for a blacksmith who made shoes for the Thomases, he gave up. The man held tightly to a sliver of hope that Tyla and the town of Rakuen would take him in and allow him to live a peaceful life there, and start with a new slate. Fingers gripped the steering wheel tightly and the vehicle pushed on to the town on the horizon.

* * *

Knives had been venturing the house, noting everything he saw. What caught his attention was in the living room. A shelve of books. Many books rested on every shelf, tightly packed together. There were so many various subjects from mechanics to cook books. Only one book caught Knives' attention. It was silk covered and beared no name or title. It was hidden amongst a dictionary and thesaurus, a tiny sliver of a book compared to the thicker volumes on either side. If there ever was a weakness Knives had aside his human prejudice, it was his curiosity. The small book was plucked from the shelf and he settled onto the couch and opened it.

Vash was finishing cleaning the bowl he used to make cereal and set it on the drying rack. The skillet he used for the bacon had to soak to get the blackened remnants to come off easily, as scrubbing had been useless. Vash cleaned what he could and lit a candle to make the place smell nicer. The scent of burnt meat and bread was not very pleasant to anyone. After the laborious work, he went to search for Knives. Vash found his brother sitting on a plush couch in the living room with a battered book. Blue eyes scanned over it quickly, absorbing every word it had in it.

"What are you doing?" Vash asked. The book was quickly stuffed under the seat cushion and a glare was focused on Vash. The last thing Knives wanted was for his brother to be under the impression he was curious about the human here and was willing to learn more about humankind. The scorning gaze prevented Vash from inquiring further into Knives' activities and he abandoned the subject. Both perked as they heard frantic footsteps on the porch. The door slammed open and Tyla stumbled in, her arms laden with shopping bags. Her sleek, blonde hair was in disarray, and she was panting for breath.

"I totally forgot the time, Vash! I went out to purchase some clothing for you and...oh, good morning, Knives," she said with a wide smile. The woman received the same glare he had fixed on his brother and faced the wall. Tyla's slender shoulders slumped and she shook her head before offering Vash the same smile. Vash took the burdening bags from her arms and set them beside the couch. The moment Tyla was free from the restraining weight, she went to the bags and began to tug them open and pull out the clothes. The array of many styles were laid out on the couch and table, the room painted with various colors. Knives remained in the seat as he looked at Vash grabbing up some of the clothing. Knives knew Vash was in a frenzy over the clothes and pulled a few his own way. It was a far cry from the outfits he normally wore, which were derrived from old space outfits found in the ships. The material was much lighter and not as noticeable. Tyla watched as the two brothers were sorting out what they wanted silently, and in the mean time, went to go fix breakfast for them all.

The savory scents of the food Tyla was cooking made the brothers forget the kitchen calamity from this morning. The experience had been unpleasant for both brothers who now sat at the table waiting to be served food. Knives remained stoic and as cold as ever as he watched the human cooking their food. Vash had some cereal but no one could expect a puny bowl of cereal to tide over the bottomless stomach he had. Bacon, sausage, toast and eggs were all laid out on plates for them to eat, with not one piece burnt. Lavender eyes finally fell upon the sink full of soapy water. The soaking skillet was lifted from the depths of the water, and greasy, brown water running off it.

"Vash? What's this?" She asked. A single brow was perked up at him, and Vash set down his fork nervously.

"Um..."

"He tried cooking. And failed...beyond all comprehension of that word," Knives said and took a bite of his eggs.

"Vash, you should have waited for me to return home for that. You didn't need to cook anything," she said, aghast. The kitchen was one of Tyla's favorite places, due to her love and passion for cooking.

"Well...I was hungry, and it looked simple enough from what I saw you doing," he explained. While Vash may think she was mad, it took a lot to really get under her skin. A slightly damaged skillet and small waste of food earned no credit from her anger.

"It's ok, Vash...don't worry about it, ok?" she said with a smile. Knives stared at her a moment, observing how forgiving she was. Truly, she and Vash suited one another in that department. Nothing anyone did seemed to ellict any negative response from her. Vash came near to burning her place down if he hadn't stopped him, and she harbored no ill feelings. The human woman puzzled him. Tyla sat down at the table with the two and ate her own breakfast quietly, the three not sharing anymore words. It was a quiet affair. Vash's table manners had improved exponently since Knives' scolding, and he even chewed with his mouth closed.  
Knives ate slowly and noted how the pain was subsided to a simple, dull ache in his limbs. The normal strength he used to possess was coming back to him. A hand was lifted to his shoulder and pressed on the bullet wound gingerly. Some tenderness still pulsed through him but there was no sharp pains, no dehabilitating agony. It was nice to move around too with no bandages restricting his body movement. Knives pondered if he should adhere to his brother's deal. Once he was fully healed, enough to stand on his own...what really prevented him from running? Vash would not risk putting these humans' lives in danger fighting him here. Still...as bottomless as his hatred was for humans, a part of him felt he owed it to Vash to at least try to see it differently. Hundreds of years he tried to convince Vash these humans were nothing but a parasitic infestation, and everytime they met, they always ended up fighting until both were near death...himself more than Vash. Maybe that foolish idea that protecting those you care about did lend strength to one?  
Knives had many plans while stuck in this town, if he decided to stay. His notorious curiosity plagued him more than ever. The two things he was most curious about was the protrusions that shot from his arm the other day in the bathroom. It had startled even him, but as he now had time to calmly reflect, he realized that the surge of energy must have created it. It had been a pleasing feeling, releasing that energy from his body and empowering to say the least. The second was what Tyla said to him about the town's laws regarding the use of plants. It was a known fact the humans could never survive on this planet without the help of plants. It was why he set the navigation coordinates to this planet in the first place...then Rem had to interfere.  
However, the people of this town held laws about their use. Power throughout the town was turned off completely during the night so the plants could rest themselves. It was hardly a break for them...but he had to admit it was a start. In exchange for their help, humans had to treat the plants with some regards of kindness. _But no...for hundreds of years they been killing one another, using up the plants like they are a cheap commodity. Blood turns on blood, friend on friend. Humans are far too greedy to realize everything has a limit, and is not infinite._ This law upset Knives understanding of humans, and forced him to question his own knowledge. For this, he needed to investigate the sister plants themselves to determine the facts of Rakuen.

" Why don't you and Knives take the clothes upstairs? I'm going to clean up," Tyla asked. Vash nodded and shifted his eyes to Knives. The plate was finished anyhow, unconsciously eating as he examined his thoughts. Knives followed without question and they gathered their new belongings up to take to their rooms. As they disappeared upstairs, Tyla was beginning to clean up her kitchen and restore it back to its original cleanliness.

* * *

The car's engine rumbled to a stop. The vehicle was parked in front of Tyla's neat home overlooking the dusty street. The man stepped from the car and smoothed his hand over the hair to make sure every strand was in place. Those light eyes gazed upon the house for a moment before Jesse decided to move toward it. There was a sense of forbearance hanging over the home that he didn't like. Jesse just thought it was old memories forcing him to feel shame and that was the gloom he was experiencing. Each step taken toward the house lent him enough strength to stand at the door and knock. A deep breath was taken in and released as he readied himself for an onslaught from the woman. Technically, if the law found out he was around, he would be in serious trouble and handed to the Feds.  
Jesse tried to push all that nervousness aside and knocked a few more times. No answer came to him. The knob turned easily and the door swung open when he gave it a tap. Everything was in order when he stepped inside. The door was kicked gently with a shiny dress shoe, and the lock clicked quietly. The quiet ambiance surrounded him. Water was running inside the kitchen, a sign that someone was here.

"Tyla!" he called out, hoping to catch her attention wherever she was.

The brothers were in their respective rooms, putting their clothes away they received. The shout for Tyla stopped them. Knives didn't like surprise visits from other humans, and Vash had recognized the voice. Both emerged from their rooms with their eyes trained on the stairs. They looked to one another briefly before both silently tiptoed down the wooden steps. Vash threw a hand out as he caught sight of Tyla's back and watched as she hung a rag on a holder and turned the water off. Tyla left the sink to go see who it was. The men followed silently, hiding behind a wall beside the living room's archway. Azure eyes peeked from behind the wall and retreated as quickly.

"Who is that?" Knives whispered. Vash cringed some as he made some odd hand movements, trying to explain what he did not want to say. he was not sure if Knives would understand.

"That's...Jesse Dillinger. It's Tyla's ex boyfriend...and he uh...well, isn't quite over her," he finished. Knives understood perfectly what Vash was saying and said nothing more.

"Hey there," Jesse said coaxingly. The words were honeyed and sweetened with a kind tone, the same he used to woo her in the first place. Tyla only stared at him with a small scowl, not falling for the same trick twice. The silence did not last long as Tyla exhaled slowly and looked down.

"You should not be here," she said. These were not the words Jesse wanted to hear. Those kind features he had put on when he entered faded away and turned to stone. Hazel eyes sharpened into a piercing gaze, arresting Tyla's attention.

"Why is that? I came here hoping to seek sanctuary and forgiveness," he growled. Tyla's head shook dismally as she backed away from the man. It invited him to approach her, his steps heavy and his manner threatening.

"Because we're not a couple, and I'm not going to help you," she said with a shaky voice, but standing her ground. Tyla knew what kind of man he was. Jesse was a horrible man, who was every opposite of what morals this town built themselves on. Hoping to chase him out of her home and out of this town, she steeled her voice and attempted to glare right back.

"If the mayor finds out you-" but Tyla could not finish what she wanted to say. His voice boomed over hers and startled her into stopping.

" So WHAT if he finds out? He comes here with those bastard, pacifist cops you fucking have, I'll put a bullet in each forehead!" he yelled. Tyla was stiff against the wall, eyes wide at Jesse. The two's quarrel would end badly if someone didn't intervene. Vash was struggling with his brother who was forcing him to stay and insisting this was not their business. As Jesse was raising a hand, Vash had hit Knives and escaped from his grasp. Vash had bound out in time to catch Jesse's wrist and halt his strike at Tyla. Furious, golden eyes peered angrily into Vash's emerald ones then wrenched his arm free.

"Well, if it ain't Vash the Stampede..." Jesse spat. This didn't bother Vash as he shoved the man away and stood between him and Tyla to prevent anymore attacks.

"Get out, Jesse. Don't come back," Vash said sternly. The two men considered to stare one another down, not wanting to give any ground. Knives cursed his brother under his breath as he watched Vash leap out to save the human girl from harm. He decided to watch his brother try and neutralize the situation through his idiotic ' friendly negotiation' methods. As Knives watched the man named Jesse, he noticed a movement he didn't like. Looking for something to use, he grabbed a large knife from the drying rack and waited.

"You're not armed," Jesse mused as he let a smug smile grace his features. It was true that Vash left those guns all the way out in the desert where he did battle with his brother. That didn't mean he had a trick up his sleeve. In the flash of a second, three things happened. A pistol was pulled quicker than the eye, a streak of silver flew through the air and into the forearm of the pistol wielder, and five gunshots were fired off. Vash and Jesse both crumpled to the floor, kneeling in their own blood. Jesse frantically pulled at the knife that was presently buried deep in his arm and bone, while two bullet wounds released rivets of blood from his shoulder. Vash clutched his side where two bullet wounds were leaking blood onto the nice, clean shirt. His prosthetic arm was in its gun form, aimed still at Jesse. Knives walked out quickly and took the gun away from Jesse. With the pistol in hand, he aimed it at the bastard's head, his hazel eyes no more harboring any malice...but fear, and terror. A sick grin came to Knives' as he stared down into those wide eyes in the animal before him...

"KNIVES! NO!" Vash yelled. It snapped the brother from his intent as he growled and cast the gun aside, it hitting the floor and sliding into the kitchen. A look of disgust was aimed at Vash as Knives walked calmly from the kitchen and upstairs. Finally gripping the situation before her, Tyla snapped from her petrification and crawled to Vash's side.

"Vash...will you heal correctly?"

A goofy smile met her as he turned his head, and held a hand up. Two slugs dropped to the floor. Relief swept over her as she realized his body's plant system pushed the slugs out and by now, was beginning to heal itself. It did not mean he should be out and doing cartwheels with the children just yet.

"Let's get you bandaged up and to bed, Vash...I'll call the police to come and get our friend here," she said. Vash gave a nod and stayed put, the transformed arm still pointing a gun at him. Murmurs came from the kitchen as Tyla made the call to the police to pick up an intruder. This only complicated matters. The past few days, Vash had been trying to show Knives a kinder side to humans...and this idiot had to breeze into town and display the very same acts Knives despised. Greed, rage, violence...though Knives shouldn't be the one to speak when it came to the subject of violence. They were simply lucky that Knives decided to listen. Vash gave that a second thought. That was right. He did listen to Vash when he said stop. Normally, Knives never did...and always would do as he wanted. What made him want to stop?


	5. Bonds That Their Kind Share

God I know I haven't updated this story in a while. Lack of internet and other things. But the fifth chapter! woot! and it is about 3,000 words, so enjoy the long read. Thanks all for reading and please, review! Thank you!

* * *

Chapter 5  
Bonds That Their Kind Share

The day passed slowly, the suns giving way to the darkness of the night. As they set over the far horizon, the tiny lights of the town began to flicker on one by one. Happy families were enjoying the fresh dinner cooked, and talking about their day. It was the replication of what life used to be like on planet Earth, where human life was not so challenging and full of such dangerous obstacles. Hopes still existed that the home planet would be able to find them and bring them to earth, or a new planet that was not so inhabitable.

This warm, lively evening was to be enjoyed and a time to reflect on the occurrences of the day. A time to eat good, delicious food and wind down from the toils. Yet...while other households may have been talking and sharing their day's experiences, Tyla's household was as quiet as a library. After the incident earlier with Jesse, neither of the brothers wanted to talk. The town's sheriff came and took Jesse into custody, until the Feds would arrive and take him off their hands. Vash had attempted many times to try and talk to Knives, even thanking him for not murdering the man. Nothing produced a response from the stoic, statuesque Knives. Only a cold glare was laid upon Vash and it was enough to make the brother stop.  
The two sat at the table as Tyla laid out plate after plate of food. The tension between the two blonde brothers was felt. Tyla didn't wish to say anything, feeling such a heavy pressure that if she were to say a single word, she might shatter the fragile mood in the room. Steam rose from the various foods ranging from chicken, mostachelli and a freshly made pizza. The brothers quietly picked out their shares and went to eating. Tyla sat down at the head of the table, watching them. Vash appeared to be so solemn and sad while Knives kept a face comparable to a noh mask, where no one could tell what he was really thinking or feeling. A small bite shred some meat off the bone from the chicken thigh. It was chewed and swallowed but with reluctance. Tyla didn't feel much like eating knowing that her two guests were at odds with one another. From what she was informed, it a century long feud...what place did she have to tell them to get along? This grudge they both held ran deeper than just their opposing beliefs about human beings.

A fork clanged loudly against a dish as Knives stood up. The plate of food was finished and he made his way up the staircase. Once the sound of his door slamming closed reached Tyla's ears, she sighed softly and relaxed. She hadn't noticed just how rigid her posture had been this whole time until Knives left. Vash offered a reassuring smile as he helped himself to seconds of the heavy food. There was more gusto behind Tyla's appetite now as she dined with Vash.

"...Do you...think he will accept a normal life among us, Vash? Is that what you're hoping?" she asked suddenly. Emerald eyes flickered to her a moment before returning to the succulent looking piece of chicken on the plate.

"...Maybe. I was hoping that if he saw some good hearted people for once, it might help change his opinion," he admitted sullenly. A fork scooped up some of the mostachelli as he contemplated his thoughts a moment before voicing them to his friend. " I thought there was progress...but that Jesse might have just reinforced his beliefs."

Tyla stuck a piece of chicken in her mouth and chewed slowly on the soft, flavorful meat. The little progress they might have made in the past few days probably did end up being demolished by Jesse's visit. It was only a small setback in her view. If she continued to be the kind human she was to Knives, and keep up her patience, could she hopefully help Vash's brother see differently? It was the hardest thing she ever had to work for, but if it was for Vash and for the sake of humanity, it would be worth the intense struggle.

"Don't ever lose hope, Vash. We still have a deal of time to work with," she said with such positivity that it uplifted Vash's spirits. He smiled for the first time since the disheartening incident earlier and proceeded to eat everything left on his plate.

* * *

Lights began to flicker out like candles near the end of their wick. Soon the part of town Knives could see from his window blended in to the darkness of the vast desert surrounding it. No passerby could ever tell a town existed out in these parts unless the moons were full and at that, one had to be looking real hard to distinguish it. He hadn't gotten to meet many of the townsfolk yet aside Tyla and her elderly parents. What troubled him is they seemed nice enough, not barbaric like the humans in the other towns where they fought constantly over trivial things such as assets and money. Murders were committed over such menial things such as bumping into the wrong man. That was all it took to set some of them off and earn a man twice his weight in bullets.  
Today proved a point of his. This Jesse as they called him, came here to seek refuge. There was no doubt in his mind and from his attitude that he was on the run. Murder, theft, or scams it didn't matter to Knives...it all boiled down to greed.

"Humans...hn. They all consume everything around them with no sense of self control," he murmured, as he stood by the window with folded arms. The faint moonlight from the two illuminous crescents in the sky set a soft hue on him, outlining his figure. This serenity soothed his nerves. It was getting late and he knew he ought to get some rest. Tired feet carried him to the edge of the soft bed. The thick covers were pulled back as he slid in and got comfortable. The blankets were pulled up to keep him warm as this night seemed particularly chilly. Chilled eyes stared out the window to the sky filled with billions of bright, illustrious stars. It was calming to stare at them until his eyelids felt too heavy and he succumbed to sleep.

* * *

It was the fifth day of the three weeks Knives proposed to Vash. The time was slipping away through their fingers and it did not seem they made any progress in the five days. To make the matters worse, Knives was nearly healed to full completion. The only thing stopping him from rampaging on this town was their brotherly bond and the promise made between them. Would that bond keep him adhered to his word? While the scent of food wafted upstairs, it did not interest Vash as much as it should. He was worrying about the outcome of this decision he made. Was it too reckless? Was it too much to hope that Knives could be convinced he was wrong after all these years? As he flipped over onto his stomach in bed, he stared at the floor with no focus.

"Vash! Breakfast is done!" he heard Tyla's melodic voice call up. The clock on the nightstand made him realize this was much later than he normally laid in bed. Just smelling food cooking was usually enough to rouse him from bed and have him racing down the stairs. Now, he only sat up sluggishly and ran a hand through his disorderly, blonde hair. A quick shower and then he would make his way down there.

Tyla was making the plates for her two guests. Neither had shown up just yet. It was out of the ordinary as Vash would already be down here at the table, covering it in drool. The incident yesterday may have had a more profound impact on them than she originally thought. The familiar creaking of her stairs stole her attention as she lifted her head to see who was coming. To her surprise, it was Knives. It made her pause as she was setting a plate of steaming breakfast down on the table.

"Good morning, Knives," she greeted him. The tall man paused a moment to glower at her before sitting down at the table. A smooth hand picked up the fork and began to eat quietly with no further eye contact. Tyla was preparing two more plates for herself and Vash when she heard some obscene knocking at her front door. The spatula was placed neatly on a dish towel while she went to see who it was. Given the kind of visitor they had yesterday, Tyla was hesitant to open her door. It was a surprise when she did to find a rather tall, brown-haired lady and a much shorter, thinner lady with black hair. The two did not look familiar to her, or from this town.

"May I...help you?" she asked. The two cheerfully smiled at her, seeming so full of warmth and kindness. It eased Tyla as she opened the door more, feeling more comfortable.

"Yes! We're looking for Vash the-VASH!"

The smaller one bolted past Tyla and into the kitchen. When Tyla realized who she was mistaking for Vash, she screamed at the woman to stop. The shorter woman stopped when she was met with a piercing, deathly gaze from the man in the kitchen. It sent a dose of fear straight down her spine and froze any movement she wanted to make. She had thought it was odd his hair was shorter, and a lighter blonde...apparently, this wasn't him. This had to be his brother he mentioned.

"Meryl?" came a kinder voice around the corner. Meryl forced herself to look sideways to her right. A man with blonde hair was peeking his head around the corner at her. As much as she wanted to run to him, she was still paralyzed by fear. The mistake she almost made could have cost her her life.

"Vash..." she choked out and managed to regain control of herself. Tyla came in with the other and looked to Vash with a stern gaze. It meant she would have a word with him later about the company she just let in. It would seem her normally quiet house she been living in by herself for so long, was gaining quite a few roommates. Vash rushed to Meryl and gave her a tight hug. The woman gasped and could not move her lips to form a word. Gray eyes wandered to the other lookalike in the chair and hoped he would not do anything to destroy this moment. When Vash said he was off to settle this score with his brother...her mind imagined bloodshed, and an outcome that would leave only one brother alive. Why were both of them alive? Did he have a change of heart?

"So this is...Meryl? And you are?" Tyla looked up to the taller lady.

"Millie!" She happily responded. Tyla smiled and gave her a kind greeting. Vash let Meryl go and glanced to his brother who seemed more aggravated by the new humans. Pleading eyes flashed to Tyla to help him out here.

"Ladies, I can show you to your rooms. You can stay here and later Vash will show you the hotel, ok?" It was a nice offer. They could stay and get a bite to eat and refresh before going to the town's small hotel. The girls headed upstairs and when Vash heard the footsteps fade away, he turned to his brother.

"Knives..."

"Look. I will try...but yesterday just proved my fact, you know. This is absurd, Vash, and you know it. Those scars on your body prove that," he said harshly. Hands slammed down on the table as Knives stood to excuse himself to his room. Vash sighed as Knives disappeared up the stairs. Would he ever get his brother to try and see it from another angle?

Afternoon had come over the busy town. Laughter surrounded the group as they made their way down the busiest street. Vash picked up his favorite treat, a box of donuts, on his way to the square. The hotel was there and Vash could show them in. Tyla had planned something different today for herself and Knives. The facility that housed the plants was not far away and she wished to go there to show Knives that humans do show respect and thanks for everything those beings did for them. It was still early in the afternoon, just passing the twelve o'clock mark.

"Meet you back at the house, Vash," Tyla said and stopped. Vash waved slowly and offered them a smile. The girls followed him as Tyla and Knives stood in the square watching them enter the white building. Knives didn't know exactly why he was listening to anyone here. Blue eyes glanced sideways to the woman beside him, wondering what she planned to do with him. Just before he could look away, her lavender ones met his.

"There is something else I want to show you, Knives. I know you probably are curious..." she said, and began to walk away. Knives stood there a few moments before deciding to follow her. The direction they were headed was towards a towering, grey figure with a point reaching high to the blue sky. It was the remains of one of the SEEDS ships that had crashed to this planet so long ago. It gave Knives an ill feeling in his stomach as he approached it with the woman.

"What do you plan on showing me?" he asked. Tyla gave him a glance and walked in pace with him.

"The plants. I am sure you wanted to see them sometime, right?"

She was quite right. There were plans to explore the power he discovered within him, and investigate the plants here. It was the only two goals he had while he was stuck in this town and keeping the foolish promise he made with his brother. They were goals he wanted to do on his own with no one accompanying him.

The pair walked up the stone steps into the stripped hull of the ship. A majority still stood to protect the plants and the technology required to use them. A lot of the metal from the outside was stripped off to make the houses and buildings that littered around the ship's remains. It was dark on the inside save for a few lights lining a dingy, narrow hallway. The two walked through and entered a large cavity housing nearly fifteen of the bulb-like structures containing the plants. Some men and women in lab coats were taking a break in a small room not far from their left. Troughs lining the middle of the floor had such odd looking objects in them that men were loading onto carts. It appeared to be a kind of food or sustenance humans needed that the plants were making. It appalled Knives to see this...but what he was not seeing was the common citizens at various containments praying and thanking the plants. Tyla walked slowly along the trough and pointed them out to Knives.

"...We would not be able to survive the harshness of this barren planet if it were not for the plants...we like to give our thanks any way we can. Thus the rules on weekends I explained to you...and the reason why so many come here with flowers and tokens of appreciation," she explained for him. One caught Knives' interest. A lit candle was left in front of one of the bulb structures. The sister plant was emerged from the centre, and staring at the small flame with curious, white eyes. The two pairs of legs stretched gracefully to propel itself further down toward the candle. A slender arm reached out and its delicate fingertips touched the glass, wanting to touch the candle. A soft smile formed on the young face of the female plant. This alone captured Knives' attention.  
He walked to the plant herself and stood before her, looking right into her eyes. A look of confusion came across the tender features of her face as she looked into the blonde's azure orbs. Both hands were placed on the glass as he stared intently into her milky gaze. The plant mimicked him and lined her own lovely hands with his from her side and placed her forehead against the glass. It was the first time Tyla ever saw Knives smile as he did the same thing.

"What is he doing?" a lab technician asked Tyla. She turned to him briefly and shook her head, with a kind hearted smile.

"Bonding it seems...let the man be, ok?"

The technician nodded and went back to the computer monitors that kept watch of each of the fifteen plants and their life levels. To see Knives with the other plant had brought a single tear to Tyla's eyes as she watched on at the two. To her it was beautiful. Nothing could ever compare to what she was witnessing there in the ship.

* * *

The hotel room was nicely furnished with a plush couch set, soft rugs and a healthy breeze through the window. Silk flowers were in a vase on the table. There were blue roses surrounded by soft, white carnations. While they were fake, the maker fashioned them to look like the real ones. The girls put their bags by the couch and sat down together as Vash settled on the smaller love seat opposite of them. Meryl stared at Vash a moment, with a kind smile. She felt so sorry for him, having to carry the burden he did for so long. What he told her before he went off to confront Knives was heartbreaking and caused her worry.

"What happened?..." she asked cautiously. Vash looked at them as he finished his last donut and set the empty box on the table. Gulping down the sweet pastry, he sighed and forced a smile on his face, if only to bear it all.

"We fought, but...when I had the chance to kill him, I couldn't. He is my brother. So I thought I could help him change his mind...I thought of this place and hoped it could cultivate the change in him. It's a kind, peaceful town here. Nothing like the other towns..." he explained. Meryl lowered her head and stared at the floor. Everything he told her about his brother, she wondered if this was a reckless idea. All the adventures she and Millie shared with Vash and the priest, Wolfwood, had made their heads spin. It was full blown craziness and excitement. The time spent with the two proved how reckless Vash could be and she had to wonder if this was a truly bad idea. If this town would end up like July...

"Isn't that dangerous, Vash? Having him here amongst humans?" Meryl pressed. Those thin brows were furrowed at him as she demanded answers. It wiped the smile from his face as he gazed at her with all his seriousness.

"It is...but Tyla and I are working hard with him. And he has promised to try and change..." he shot back, but trailed off towards the end, looking to the decorative fireplace. The jaw muscles clenched visibly, and Meryl got a sick feeling in her stomach.

"Try and change? And how long will he try before he gives up and blows these people up?" she yelled. Millie grabbed Meryl's arm and tugged her back into her seat, as she stood with the louder her voice got. The pleading look in Millie's big eyes made her calm down but did not fully extinguish her anger. The green eyes turned on her angrily as he took his turn to yell back.

"That won't happen! I won't allow it, even if he decides he may try it!" he shouted, a solid promise behind those words. Meryl's features softened as she gazed into his strained face and the muscles taut. A deep breath was taken in and slowly let out as she calmed herself. All she had to do was have hope that his hateful brother would see the good side of humans too. Given what she knew now, if Vash was declared a natural disaster before by the insurance company she worked for...how much worse was Knives?


	6. Festering Hostility

Seems forever since I updated this one! But thankfully all my updates are at least within the month. So sorry for the wait, but two other stories to work on. ^^' And trying to keep up with them and work. But enjoy! Please review!

* * *

Chapter 6  
Festering Hostility

People's chatter surrounded them in a sea of voices. The sun was bearing down upon the dusty world in mid afternoon, when the townspeople were out and about. The many sounds and scents surrounded the two as they walked back to her home bombarded the senses. While Tyla was momentarily taken away by the scent of freshly cut apples, or beef being barbequed over an open pit, Knives seemed to ignore everything in his surroundings. Tyla was beginning to wonder if it was a good idea to let him see the plants' facility and how the humans go about receiving their food and water from them. What she had been hoping for is that Knives would see that despite how often they used his kind, the humans here were very aware of what the plants were doing...and were very grateful for everything given to them.  
The two reached her home and entered. Not one word was spoken between the pair. Tyla locked up and turned to Knives standing by a bookshelf, his eyes gazing at a small picture in a picture frame. Many, little decorations were sitting there along the few picture frames of herself with her mother and father. The three had taken a picture in front of one of the plants at the facility when Tyla was still a small infant. What had caught Knives attention was the plant's behavior. The couple were smiling brightly while they held little Tyla in their arms, and the plant had exposed itself in its true form...all the way at the bottom of the inclosure, and its pearl-like eyes staring at the small baby. a slender hand was held out, its fingertips pressed against the glass.

"Did your father used to work in the facility?" he asked abruptly. Tyla blinked at the question and nodded gently as she approached him.

"Mom too...they worked together," she informed him. She walked to his side and stared at the happy picture longingly, before gently taking it from Knives' fingers and replacing it on the shelf.

"They retired," she stated blandly, her eyes never coming off the picture. Slender hands folded themselves in front of her as she dwelt on the thoughts Vash expressed to her. How come she had more hope in Knives than his own brother? Maybe having the advantage of not knowing the man for as long as Vash did gave her an edge in this rehabilitation. There was no reason to not forgive him because she hadn't been personally involved to know and feel the pain he had caused many others.

"I cannot forgive your kind, Tyla. I am trying to, but I cannot," he admitted bitterly. The flame of fury was beginning to grow as he creased his brows, and gritted his teeth.

"You...you're much too young to know how your pathetic kind started out here. Killing one another over water, land and food...fighting to keep plants which were no ones' to begin with! Never helping one another out...humans are desensitized and so completely selfish. Burning up their own world and moving on to the next only to use it up and continue...how utterly...disgusting," he finished with a bitter taste left on his tongue. "Your kind cannot control their impulses...they use my kind up and move on..." he muttered, as the rant calmed. Just getting it out of him lessened the pressure. As long as one human knew the root of his hatred, it helped. As his sight drifted to her, he saw moisture in the corners of her eyes, tears threatening to spill over.

"What are those dirty tears for, huh?" he asked angrily. The hateful question sobered Tyla up as her sniffles stopped and the welling of moisture in her eyes ceased.

"You...sincerely don't think I don't know that? Don't know about the atrocities committed or what one is capable of? But Knives...you're one to talk. You stand her preaching to me how violent and murderous we are. How selfish we are...but you want all humans eradicated so as to stop a "virus". It's you or them. Isn't that just as violent? Just as murderous?...Just as selfish? It's just stooping to the level you condemn," she said. For her to speak so frankly caught Knives off guard, as all he could do is stare at her in disbelief. Never before had anyone talked back to him like this.

" The only mistake you're making is generalizing the population. Not all of us are like that! This town certainly isn't! You're angry because we're forced to use the plants to survive, right? Because we exhaust them like one would batteries...well, do you think we would be forced to if we hadn't landed on this arid, desolate planet?" she spewed. The docile, quiet Tyla that Knives had briefly known the past five days had disappeared. Now only this venom spitting woman stood before him.  
"And who's fault was that...? Yes...Vash told me, Knives...so think hard before you start laying the blame," she finished and stormed from the room. Knives stayed rooted where he was, his jaw dropped as he watched the girl leave. Those words struck him deep to the core. While fragmented words swam in his head for many years that indicated who was responsible, the man never bothered to piece it together. This human female had done just that and slapped him in the face with the cold, hard truth Knives denied ever since the beginning. And this...infuriated him.

* * *

The girls were settled in. Vash feared for them to be here while there was a veritable ticking bomb. Writing them seemed like a good idea at the time but maybe it was not. Once the two picked up on your scent, it was hard to lose them. They followed him on all his adventures and in some instances, even provided some sorely needed help. It took convincing to ensure they stayed at the hotel until he taken care of his brother. Meryl was hellbent on believing nothing could change the "demon" as she called him. If five days had already gone and there was no change, how was the next two weeks supposed to go? A minor depression began to plague Vash as he made his way back to Tyla's. The two would either show up soon or already be back...maybe some donuts would help lift his mood if not make him feel an iota better.  
The home seemed as quiet as the church. The time had lapsed into the evening and Vash figured the two should have been back by now. Vash hadn't a clue why Tyla dragged Knives off by herself...and it did worry him. All it would take is something to aggravate him and he would cave in to his anger. Tyla had no way of preventing this if it were to happen.  
A box of fresh, soft donuts were placed on the table. The flimsy lid was lifted and the scent of such sweet, sugary delight filled his nostrils. A happy smile came over his face as a gloved hand picked up one of the much desired pastries. The glazed donut barely kissed his lips when he heard a shrill scream. Hunger and donuts forgotten, the donut fell to the floor as Vash rushed upstairs. A feeling of heavy, frightening energy filled the upstairs hallway. the bathroom door was open and there was commotion. Vash ran and barged into the bathroom to see Tyla standing by the toiler with fright painted over her face and Knives sitting on the floor holding his forearm in pain. The shower curtain had been torn off at the hooks and laid in a heap beside the tub.

"Knives!" Vash yelled. Those eyes had turned electric blue with fury but before either brother could engage in battle, the woman stood between them. Lavender eyes begged Vash to calm down. A few moments passed with Knives heaving for breath and Vash shaking and on his toes. Tension still hung in the air as the three tried to gain their bearings and disperse the adrenaline inside them.

"Get out, Vash," Knives gritted out. The green-eyed brother stared at Knives with protest until Tyla shook her head.

"Just go...I'll be fine. Let him be," she assured. Vash took a hesitant step back and turned quickly, walking away. He would stay down the hall, not far from the two. Something about that spike in power he felt made Vash wary. What was Knives going through and why did Tyla scream then act like nothing was wrong? The bathroom door was slammed shut once Vash left and Tyla turned to Knives sitting on the floor. The toilet seat lid clacked loudly as she flipped it down. Tyla took a seat and watched Knives warily. What she had walked in on was nothing short of amazing. To think the plants had such power inside them...it had marveled her.

"Knives," she said, with dryness in her mouth. The man continued to stare at the aqua colored bath rugs without glancing to her. This had been a secret he wanted no one knowing. The human girl had seen something he had just recently discovered himself and hadn't a clue how to control. What Tyla had told him earlier had infuriated him to his core. Intent on having another go at her, he rushed upstairs while the anger was still hot inside. It did nothing to quell the surge of power flowing within. Feeling that familiar sensation he ducked into the bathroom and barely managed to gain control of it. The flash of light cut through her shower curtain and it fell neatly to the floor, severed neatly. Before anymore destruction could result, he managed to call back the power...but not before Tyla walked in to see such odd, sharp protusions shrinking back into his arm. It was unlike anything she ever seen before.

"Are you...ok?" she asked hesitantly. The blonde glared at her a moment before giving a solemn nod. The two didn't know what else to say to one another. The male slowly rose up, grasping the towel rack for support. The power had calmed down and his heartrate returned to normal. Fixing the human with a cruel glare, he issued her one demand.

"Do NOT tell my brother about this..." he ordered. The girl only smiled to him and nodded. She had no plans to let Vash in on this issue.

"I certainly won't...it's getting late, and I must make dinner. Will you...join us? Please?" she asked kindly. No answer came from the stoic man standing so tall. Tyla stood slowly and lowered her head, having a feeling he was still angry at her for the things she said. She had meant to stay calm around him and ever so kind. The cruel things he was saying though had struck a nerve in her and she could no longer contain her apprehension of his blatant racism.

"I am sorry for lashing out like that...I didn't meant to upset you-" she stopped as he raised a hand to prevent her from explaining. He gave her a long, cold stare for a while which froze her to the spot. To have those icy eyes peering deep into her made her feel so self-conscious.

"I'll be down...just get the food ready," he told her. Tyla nodded slowly and left Knives to himself. The bathroom door was pushed closed to give him privacy. As she walked down the hallway to an awaiting Vash, she exhaled. All that time staring into his eyes, she hadn't realized she was holding her breath. There was definitely something about him to fear...and for some unexplained reason, she was in awed by that.

* * *

Dinner was being laid out on large plates. Steam curled from the succulent meats and vegetables Tyla had made for them. Two new guests were sitting at the table talking to Vash. The three were chatting animatedly about all their past adventures. The stories they were reliving made Tyla smile as she tended to setting out the plates and the food onto the large, long table. There were stories about the sandsteamer, and the run-in with thwe Bad Lad Gang. A mention of a man named Marlon who always helped repair Vash's famous gun. The Nebraska family and their oversized mother and son. Stories of the priest known as Nicholas Wolfwood who Milllie seemed so fond of. Through all those dangers, there were stories of great adventure that Tyla wished she could have experienced.

The last plate of food had be laid out on the table when they heard footsteps coming down the stairs. The chatter stopped as all eyes turned to the landing and saw Knives emerge. No emotion showed on his face as he calmly took a seat at the head of the table and awaited for the last person to sit. The festive atmosphere had grown icy with his presence. As Tyla sat down, Knives began to take shares of each plate, not once glancing to any of the people sitting around the table.  
Meryl was trying her best to control her fear. The man named Vash the Stampede had been the one labeled the "Humanoid Typhoon" and the " $$60 billion man" for years...and now, the true one was sitting among them. The true demon responsible for all the calamities. While Vash had that outgoing attitude and aura that attracted so many people...Knives had the look of a demon and had the air that repelled those around him. How could these two be brothers?  
No one knew what to say. A heavy silence rested among them as they quietly ate their share of food, fearing that if any one of them spoke a word, it would set Knives off like an atomic bomb. Tyla had been looking everywhere but across from her at Knives. What she had said earlier, she hadn't really meant. It had all been said in the heat of anger, when she was emotional about the cruel things Knives had declared. One brave moment was taken to glance to the normally stoic man. As Tyla did, she was caught by his icy eyes staring right back at her. The only expression she could read from the gaze, was of that of a wolf, stalking its prey before it gave chase. Tyla tore away from the gaze and looked down at her food, poking at the fluffy clouds of mashed potatoes.

"Um...what's for dessert?" the tall female, Millie, asked. Tyla looked to her quickly and sighed, giving a soft smile and happy to finally have a reason to speak.

"Mille feuille cake. Is that ok?" Tyla asked politely. Millie's eyes glowed with excitement as she clapped her hands together. It happened to be her favorite type of cake.

"Oh, that is perfect! And Ceylone tea?..." she asked, jittery with energy. The other three stared at her; Meryl more with embarrassment, Vash with worry and Knives with irritation.

"I ought to have some in the cupboards," Tyla said. Dinner was nearly finished, with the serving plates demolished of what it once held. As Tyla went to fetch the cake from the counter, Vash began to collect the dirty dishes for her. The suns were setting on the horizon and filling the room with such an intense vermillion red. It was the favorite time of day when Tyla felt more relaxed. Tea was put on the stove as small serving plates were set out with forks. The platter with the lovely styled cake was set down. A large knife cut into it the custard pastry and began to set slices on each plate. Millie, Meryl and Vash began to lighten up and chat quietly amongst themselves as they enjoyed the sweet, creamy cake. Tyla set a plate of the dessert in front of Knives, giving him a kindred look. The man never looked up but stared at the slice of cake for a while before deciding to take a bite of it. Tyla sat back down with the others and smiled at the 'family' that somehow drew themselves together here. And if all went well...maybe it would stay this way.


End file.
